


One Day

by goldandsteel



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Almost Thundershield, Battle Injuries, Fluffy, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, It's subtle but enought, M/M, Pre-Slash, Thor - Freeform, Thunder and Lightning, steve rogers - Freeform, yay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-22 21:42:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldandsteel/pseuds/goldandsteel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is badly injured in battle. Thor don't feel like simply accepting it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there. I got bored at work and I wrote this tiny Steve/Thor pre-slash. Much probably I'll add a smut later, but I can't be sure.
> 
> Hope you like this little thing - it's unbeta'd, sorry. But there's some hurt/comfort, friendship and lightning. =}

Black and green, it was all he could distinguish as his legs went wobbly. His knees hit the ground but he felt no pain, no bruise at all, just the impact that shook his strong body. His hands went right after in the very last tentative of not face-crush the ground, his fists getting all the weight of his soft body. It was black, all those stains in his sight, and the world for some weird reason got green whilst his body gave up.

Unfortunately his mind didn't. It was one of the unique moments where Steve would rather pass out than staying conscious because staying conscious at that moment was plain and simple torture; he laid chest down, his face turned to the side, not being able to open his eyes but he could still feel the floor trembling as Hulk smashed his fists against the tanks, the Widow's war shouts as she invested against the enemies, the smell of the rainy clouds Thor summoned involuntarily.

His team needed him. They were under a military attack from a still unnamed organization with fascist objectives in a small town of Nevada, basically in the desert. Then he got hit by something that flew from a helicopter Hulk smashed and all his strength was gone. He felt a lot of ribs had been broken and maybe he cracked his skull, just maybe; soon enough it would all regenerate and rebound and he was going to be as good as ever. But he didn't have the time to wait.

His team needed him and he failed. He felt tears slipping to his hair following gravity as he commanded his body to move and get up but get none response. A thunder so loud and sudden surprised him – and not only him, by the shouts of the enemies – when someone landed hard next to him.

"Fellow of mine!" Thor's unmistakable voice followed soon as he knelt beside the numb face of the soldier. "Are you with me? You shall not fall, you mustn't give up, Captain."

_I won't_ , he wanted to say _, I don't want to_ , but no voice would come out, no movement of his lips would obey him. Now he could feel and hear the cracks and rips of his bones trying desperately to get back together and _that_ was pain. Only because of the excruciating feeling Steve's body decided to react with a scream that made Thor shiver.

"Steven Rogers…" Thor had not a single idea of what to do, afraid of touching the soldier when it was clear something was wrong with his back. And it was _moving,_ Thor realized with a wince of horror, by itself.

For something that bloody pain was good for, for it took Steve from his stupor. He tried to move his arms to raise himself from the floor, screaming again when the motion failed and something else ached horribly _. God, just let me die_ , he caught himself thinking, _let me die but protect my friends. I failed them._

"You failed no one, mate. You are a fighter, one of the greatest warriors I ever knew! You will not give up!" The god smashed his own fist in the floor angry for his own impotence. He was no healer, no Midgardian doctor, he was terrified of hurting a man he valuated so highly but… He had to do something. "Stay strong, my friend." Thor murmured next to his face and his tender tone made Steve open his watery eyes, grateful for having someone there for him one day of his life.

Another scream was ripped out of the soldier's chest when Thor turned him onto his back and picked him up from the ground like a baby. Steve automatically curled himself in the god's chest, clenching his teeth while trying to scream no more, the pain making him shudder. When he opened his eyes again, he was _flying._

"It was necessary to remove you from the battle, Captain." Thor explained managing to let the hammer guide him without letting his friend go. A faint _no_ came out of the soldier's lips and Thor knew too well what he meant. It was the lament of a warrior leaving his companions behind. "This was necessary. The Helicarrier is still too far and you must not suffer another blow."

He tried to land them carefully but the impact made Steve growl again and Thor let him onto the dusty ground more gently than he would have done with a maiden. They were now distant from the battle, enough to be safe but still able to hear its sounds and Steve was drowned in the agony of leaving his team behind. That perhaps ached more than his broken bones.

"Go back." He held the scaled sleeve of Thor's clothing, every piece of metal burying itself on his hand as he closed his fist. "You can. You have to go back and fight with them." He could laugh at the lost and almost childish expression in Thor's face if it was funny, not tragic. "I'll be fine."

Thor knew what must be done, being experienced in the field, he would be a great loss to the team if he remained there. But his soften heart would not allow him to go and that was not the first time it happened. He was so easily fond of his mates, so stupidly sentimental, as Loki would said, he knew that feeling too well. The Norse ended up sitting next to his leader and getting a small leather bag he carried at his back, under the crimson cape.

"I shall return, Captain, once my duty here is done. Leaving you here by yourself would be treacherous." Steve tried his best to ignore the disturbing movements and the pain in his body but he caught himself clinging to Thor's forearm like a little boy. He was dying, he knew it, but the serum wouldn't allow as it should happen naturally. The battle inside his cells was as fierce as the one putting up a show in the clouds of dust among the desert.

"There's nothing you can do." He found Thor's eyes again and smiled forcefully. "You would help them more. Don't make me command you, Thor." Thor took something from the bag and freed his arm from his mate's grip, even though remorse hit him as he did. He smiled to his captain to try to incentive him as he handed a small piece of a golden something Steve had no idea what it was.

"I will leave, I promise you. Shall you eat this, I will take my leave, Captain America." Steve managed to grab the object glad he could fight the pain the movement provoked. "This is half of a golden apple I carry around when I'm in Midgard. The golden apples concede to Asgardians vital force, stamina and longer life time than you mortals could conceive. But such a small part will be enough to help your healing and maintain you healthy for some while."

Taking a second glance, that golden thing really looked like a apple cut in half and Steve let his eyebrows up as he tasted the fruit slowly without thinking twice. He had to live and Thor had to return to the battle; if eating that weird thing would do the job, than he was more than glad to oblige. The fruit tasted wonderful, better than any ordinary apple Steve had ever proved, and a smile spread itself in his face as he swallowed the last bite.

It was like… Life. Powering him from inside out, running into his veins, flooding his heart and brain. _Life_ , pure and simple, taking him away from the pain and the remorse for failing. Life, golden as the sun, awaking him and making him open the eyes he didn't even knew he had closed, ripping him from the daydream he didn't knew he was having.

His back still hurt when he made the effort to sit, the task much less terrible than it should have been. Thor stared him anxiously, heart thumping, stormy clouds smelling like the rain Nevada had never seeing upon their heads. Every second from every minute Steve spent laid there, closed eyes and barely breathing inflicted the Norse's heart in a different affliction, a worse agony. It was torture, to see one of the most valued men he knew, one of the bravest warriors, one of his… Most cherished mates like that.

Steve blinked for a few moments before smiling again. It felt strangely good to have Thor looking after him, waiting him, _fearing_ for him. The worry in the thunderer's eyes somehow made him sigh. His hand held one of Thor's and it amazed the soldier for one second how big they were.

"Thank you." The Norse god opened his lips to say something that never went out. Steve looked down for a moment. "You saved me."

"It was my honor, Captain." Thor finally said, deep in some thought for long minutes. "It is a privilege to serve and fight by your side. To leave you alone here would be comparable to leave an arm."

Steve felt the blush creep up from his neck to his cheeks before he could fight it. He knew how it was to be loyal to another soldier, to have a great friend, but that was not quite it was looking like. That was not quite how he felt about Thor, despite the fact he refused to give it greater attention.

A loud crack sounded in the American's back again and it looked like the last thing it was missing to be with everything in the right place. A flash of pain made him tighten the grip in Thor's hand with more force than he should and if Thor was not a god, he would be bloody sure to have broken his fingers.

Thor's reaction was to press closer and hold Steve's shoulder carefully, worried that perhaps the golden apple didn't had the effect he expected or it interacted badly with the captain's different body. He was constantly told that Steve had passed through some kind of science experiment and his body functioned differently from the others, but Thor never had the courage to directly ask the soldier what and how that was. He had learned better than to cross some limits without invitation.

Steve has breathing heavily when the pain was gone. He left Thor's hand go, noticing the proximity of the other men's face, and gulped resisting the wish to collapse into Thor's arms and slip away from that horrid experience.

"Sorry. I think now it's over." Thor smiled and Steve caught himself looking at his white teeth and nice lips, feeling bothered with the notion Thor had nice lips.

"Hopefully, my friend. But do not move yourself into battle again, for we know not if you are in perfect health yet. I must return, however, as I promised you." Thor started moving away and one of the soldier's hands moved to grip the god's neck as if powered by itself, making him stop. There was some expectancy and some amusement in Thor's eyes and Steve felt suddenly appalled with his inexplicable motion, stammering before getting real words out of his mouth.

"Thank you… I appreciate you spent one of your golden apples with me, you didn't had to. You…" He knew there was something stuck in his throat, he knew he was not completely okay. He knew no one would be after that rush of pain, agony, death and life messing with his head and his feelings. He knew it just as well as he could feel Thor's warm skin under his fingers and just as well as he knew he liked that. "You were… Kind."

Thor refrained from embracing his mate for fear of hurting his back more - or again. One day, perhaps, he would tell Steve how much he admired and cherished him. How much he felt like he understood the confusion of the adaptation, the feeling of being torn between two worlds, the loneliness. _One day_. He smiled as he grabbed the huge hammer and held Steve's arm for a moment before standing up.

"My kindness only goes to those who deserve it, Captain." Steve couldn't help but smile back as Thor swing his hammer getting ready to shout to the sky. "I must send the Helicarrier to find you the minute it flash in the battlefield, mate. Stay strong."

"You too, my friend." His blue eyes followed the god disappearing from his view into the mix of fire and red dust the battle became. Steve tried to motion himself to stand up and maybe walk to the center of the fight but his spine protested and he left himself lie in the dirt, thinking of Thor.

Despite the lightning and thunders, the drops of rain felt warm on his face.


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys I didn't wanted this to happen, but it happened. So I won't promise absolutely nothing but here it is the continuation of what should have been a one-shot. Hope you like it. =]

He was being watched, he knew it. He could feel the weight of someone’s eyes over his body most of the time, if not entirely, and the feeling was very strange especially because he was too dizzy to properly see who was watching him.

Whatever was happening with his body, Steve didn’t even wanted to know; in theory he was supposed to be under observation in a infirmary but he was constantly in a haze, only had glimpses of being inside weird equipments, having cold metal objects examining him, eating from time to time and… Those eyes over him.

Occasionally he could recognize Bruce’s face next to him, and sometimes other Avengers too, but they were all blurred glimpses of his faint conscience. Once he even managed to make a little pray asking God to stop whatever was making him be in that miserable state and to his very surprise, his request was actually listened later.

Everything came on as a punch in his jaw: the impeccably white sheets, the serum in his veins, the dim light of the room and for the first time since the Hellicarrier took him and everything became a stain, Steve sat in the bed feeling all his muscles ache. The shock of seeing everything clear took some moments to go away and when he finally connected his thoughts, he looked left to discover where that sensation of being watched came from, after all.

What his eyes found brought an involuntary smile to his tense face.

“Hello, my friend.” Steve left the air he didn’t even knew he was holding when Thor came slowly out of a dark corner and allowed himself to go under the faint light. When the captain parted his lips to answer, however, no clear word would come out. Thor approached his bed and poured water in an empty glass next to it only to offer it to the soldier, who drank immediately.

“Hi, Thor.” His voice was still raspy but understandable, at least, and he didn’t even wanted to think of why he was so glad to find his friend there. “Were you here all the time?” Thor blinked, a little surprised by the question, but didn’t averted from answering it a single second.

“Yes. I must confess, however, I did not believed you knew my presence.”  The soldier suddenly remembered everything - the pain, the golden apple, Thor’s promise, the rain – and it was another punch in his stomach, his hand shaking the glass slightly. Thor took the cup from his hand when he noticed the motion. “Are you feeling ill, mate?”

“No. I’m just…” The phrase was left without its end. How was he feeling? Not even himself knew how to answer that properly. He was feeling like it was too much, it was the only sure thing. “I guess I’ve been through a lot. But it’s nice… To know you were here.” The god smiled, warm and caring, the little wrinkles in the corner of his eyes appearing.

“Much I worried about you. You fell unconscious not long after you were rescued and I objected strongly to SHIELD testing your body but Fury assured it was for your best. My only condition was to stay by your side and observe.”  Probably SHIELD was right, Steve knew it, but it still left a bitter taste in his mouth anyway. It had been a foul… Day? Week?

“How long have I been here? Is everyone else okay?” Thor considered for a moment, going closer. With his face right under the lamp, it was clear to see how there were unusual dark circles around his eyes, his beard was bigger than normal and he looked like someone who could seriously use a hot meal and a warm bed.

“Yes, all of them remain firm and strong. And… Six days, in your Midgardian time.” Steve let his jaw fall, staring at him seriously.

“This means you have been here six days too?” Thor seemed little impressed, grinning widely.

“Why, how not?” The soldier felt a strange rush of warmth running through his body, unsure if that was the burning of blush or something else. This time, he suppressed the will of hold Thor’s hand and clutched his own hands in his lap to prevent himself of doing something regrettable.

“Thank you.” His voice came out weaker and lower than he would prefer but when he raised his eyes to fix them upon Thor’s, that hardly mattered. There was a palpable tension floating between then, but unlike the kind of tension Steve was used to, it was not out of anger or disagreement.

When the god closed in, looking down on him and raised a hand to touch lightly Steve’s hair, he got honestly afraid of whatever was happening and how much he was enjoying it,  his head slightly leaning into Thor’s touch. In the monitor that reproduced his heart beatings, the beep became embarrassingly insistent as the Asgardian leaned slowly and planted a soft kiss in Steve’s temple.

“We all worried about you terribly.” The last time Steve saw such caring and tenderness in someone eyes… Well, it was something around 70 years ago. Thor, afraid of going any further, dropped his hand and sit beside the bed, in a beige chair that seemed to be at risk of crumbling in any moment under his weight. “Would you want me to call the others?”

“No.” The answer came more quickly than it should and Steve blinked several times, wondering what in all hells was happening to him. “I mean, not now. I’m little confused and I don’t want to…”

“I comprehend, my friend.” Thor melted in the chair and smiled again. “You must rest your mind also, for the last events were much troubled for anyone to endure.” Steve shook his head, incredible grateful, and mimicked the movement relaxing onto the pillows. He was confused, that’s all. It was too much in a too short time. Letting his arms lay limp around his hips, the American allowed himself to close his eyes again. He felt more tired than he would after fighting a battle.

It was with some surprise and a lot of enjoyment he felt Thor’s hand cover his own this time, keeping his eyes shut. It was nothing, he told himself, it was the support of a good friend, he tried to assure as the monitor denounced his heart pounding again. He could feel the damn grin Thor was sporting and that might have annoyed him if he wasn’t too tired for that.

Steve didn’t want to worry about nothing else he shouldn’t. His friends were safe, the battle was certainly won, everyone was okay—his eyes snap open automatically, breaking his line of thought when he felt the movement.

His clear eyes observed shocked Thor lift his hand to his lips, placing a placid kiss on his knuckles. The Norse knew he probably mustn’t but everything was trembling inside of his chest, burning, _bursting_ and he was never remarkably good at hiding sentiments anyhow. He couldn’t see what harm a simple gesture would do, after all.

Steve remained unblinking, eyes wide, as Thor left his hand go on the mattress again, the slightest bit of hesitation hitting his deep blue eyes as he stared back. The soldier’s face was a blank canvas, unmoving and plain, and the only thing that happened next were the words slipping off his mouth before he could rethink them.

“W-why?” Thor gazed his lap for some seconds – regretting his action maybe – and Steve instead of shutting up, continued with a soft but firm tone. “Why did you do this? Why are you doing this?” Breathing deep, the god found courage to face him again and his face got more and more confused while the soldier spoke. “Taking care of me, watching me like that, I mean, why?”

Thor’s lips parted and Steve wanted to punch himself when he saw that honest face growing sadder each second. Christ, could he never act like a mature human being in his love life? _Christ, when_ did he start thinking about _Thor_ as part of his love life? He shook his head, regretting his questions.

“I am fond of you, Steven, I admire you and appreciate your strength and your personality. You lay in high account upon my heart.” Thor’s face was hanging in the line between kindness and sadness and he stopped talking completely sounding like something was missing.

“You mean…” Steve spoke after long minutes of awkward silence, knowing it would do no good ignore Thor and pretend the conversation never happened. “As a friend?” Thor’s eyes smiled before his lips accomplished the task.

“Also, but not only... Not entirely.” He twisted his own hands resembling a shy teenager and that sight was something not many people had seen in all of his immortal life. Steve was looking at him with his lips parted, frozen in spot. “I have no wish to become an inconvenience to you, though. If my demonstrations of care are bothering you all you must do is speak, Captain, and I shall resume them.”

The soldier’s brain was frozen in an unstoppable flow of _oh God oh God oh God what did I do what did I said what do I say now oh my God I can’t believe this this is this is fuck yes_ and it took him an alarm ringing, lighting up a little lamp at his door, to rip him out of it. Thor looked at it for a moment before facing him once more.

“It is the medication bell. Soon enough Doctor Banner and perhaps the others will come to see you.” With the circle of surprise broken, Steve stared at Thor a little more easily _. Not only, not entirely_ as a friend, he had stated. It was, curious enough, exactly the way Steve felt about him and the admission took a weight out of his chest in a very good sensation.

The footsteps of the corridor were becoming audible and he licked his dry lips before finding the right words to reply. That wasn’t the time to act like a coward and just leave his friend thinking he was being inconvenient would be too cruel. Even through his shyness, Steve knew he could do better than that; Thor deserved better. “Thor—“

“You wish me to stop.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement, and the god was nodding as if he was absolutely sure of it. Steve smiled idly, losing his embarrassment for a moment. He could always blame the medication haze later.

“No, I don’t. I wanted to ask you if you would like to maybe, I don’t know, go out with me for a coffee or something, someday.” Once it was said, all in a quick wave of hoarse words, it turned stunningly easy to deal with the fact he asked Thor for a date and he really wanted him to say yes. Thor’s eyes lightened up with disbelief.

“You intend, only you and I?” The door was opened and Bruce peeked in, not wanting to interrupt the conversation. Steve smiled at him a short moment before staring his friend again, feeling his cheeks burn slightly when he replied.

“Yes.” Thor stood up, pushing the chair away, and the silence impelled Bruce to open the door completely and get in. Amongst the quietude, only the insane sound of beeping from Steve’s monitored heart filled the room – this and the huge grin Thor opened with his answer.

“Most certainly!” Bruce’s eyes jumped from one man to another and if their words weren’t clear enough to allow him to understand what was going on, his faces were. He tried to suppress a smile as he approached the bed.

“Thor, now Steve is awake and good, why don’t you go get some rest? You sure need it.” Thor looked at him as if he just noticed the man, quickly returning his gaze to his mate.

“Go, Thor, you need to sleep… I’m not going anywhere.” The Norse considered the idea for a few seconds before he nodded, still reluctant, going to grab his forgotten hammer in the corner of the room.

“Nor am I, my friend. Shall I come later?” Steve heard his own heart slowing down as Bruce gave him a shot of something in his veins and started unpinning the needles from his arm carefully.

“Sure… Please.” He nodded too watching Thor leaving, waving a huge hand at him and grinning warmly.

“I’m sorry, Cap, but we had to put you through the tests to evaluate your health and the effects of that thing Thor gave you, even though you weren’t conscious. Your body went through some serious injuries and it shut itself down to finish the process of recovering… But all in all, you are 100% good.” Bruce said nicely and despite his wish to stay out of whatever was going on between the two blond men, the smirk on his face was insistent.

“Thank you, Bruce. I trust you. And, well…” The doctor’s eyes met his with contained amusement and Steve shrugged, feeling oddly calm. Perhaps it was the meds, perhaps it was the marathon his body was going through, perhaps it was the soft rain that started without warning wetting his window, but he didn’t even wanted to understand or explain. The soldier contented himself with relaxing onto the pillow and closing his eyes while he replied. “If I can’t bring myself to die, I guess I should start enjoying life.”

 


End file.
